Mercedes Makes Driverless Ride

Daimler Claims a First as Sedan Retraces Bertha Benz's Route

FRANKFURT—German luxury-car maker Daimler AG said Monday it has engineered a Mercedes S-Class sedan capable of driving itself on freeways and in city traffic using "near-production" technology—a feat the company said was a first for a car maker.

Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche, in a presentation ahead of this week's Frankfurt motor show, said that in August, a Mercedes S 500 "Intelligent Drive" research vehicle autonomously retraced the 64 mile route between the German cities of Manheim and Pforzheim...